Dark Years
by Yori the Pony
Summary: When Demoritus' best friend becomes a heratic, it is up to him and his team of storm troopers to take action, but what happens when his friend is an all mighty Inquisitor with a company of space marines and a regiment of Imperial Guard behind him.
1. Chapter 1

In the dark years of the 40th millennium, war has not changed. War is still fought with soldiers who are lead by officers. Officers, given what little power needed to lead, command soldiers who are loyal to him, therefore if the officer is deemed a heretic, then his men are known as traitors. The highest officials are Inquisitors, who have god like power over a section of the human empire, the Imperium. Unlike an officer, a Inquisitor is rarely deemed a heretic do to their power which in turns creates what many fear, an Inquisitor heretic with god like powers commanding several million live to his will.

Chapter One – The Team 

---Planet Armageddon---

The Valkyrie dropship flew lower to the ground, blazing at the speed of sound over the barren wastelands. Flying beside it was two other Valkyries and three Thunderbolt Fighterships. Below them, some sixty feet, were the Steel Legion regiments and a green sea of orks, splashing against the steel of the Imperial Guard tanks.

Sergeant Demoritus Adrian, commander of the 19th Steel Legion Stormtrooper Company, was embarked on the lead Valkyrie. Beside him was Viktor Blood, the oldest in the squad and probably the wisest man Demoritus had ever known. Nicklas Mckie, the newest member in the squad was a harden veteran in the 101st Cadian. Chris Virgo, the man with bombs, was the company's best demolition expert and very smart when it came to explosives. And Sellene Ashford, the squad's communications expert, had been to the Mardian's training academy and could have been an officer if she truly wanted to be. Across from Demoritus was Leon Blackwood along with his heavy flamer. On his left shoulder pad was a row of medals, not normally worn in combat, of each campaign and honor he had won up to date. Next to him was the largest man in the company, Deng Xiaophing, the squads heavy weapons expert and his custom heavy stubber, a .50 cal machinegun that ripped through steel like it was paper. Yuri Blin, company scout and the best marksmen Demoritus had ever seen. The man had a white tally mark for every enemy leader he had killed and his once gray armor was turning white from tally marks. Decimus Forsythe was the company's private preacher, holding his book of prayers and a plasma pistol; he had seen the bowls of hell and traveled back to say what he had found. And then there was Julius Adair, the combat medic who never had anyone die on her. This was team Delta, an elite team of the best warriors the Imperium has to offer next to the Space Marines.

The squad was in complete silence inside the Valkyrie as it flew over the battlefield. Everyone was in his or her private prayer, as they all knew that any given moment they could die. No one had moved or said a word for an hour after they left the capital city and continued till the click of the intercom was heard as the voice of the pilot came over them.

"Entering air combat zone. Need air support on the left flank from ork fighters. Over."

The compartment grew quit then a robotic voice of a pilot servitor from a Thunderbolt came in.

"Roger that Valkyrie two nine three. We will engage ork fighters to clear a path to your designated LZ. Over."

"Copy that. Valkyrie Two Six Five and Valkyrie Two Zero Seven, clear run ways after we approach LZ. Command says that the area is crawling with orks and we have no room to land on the runway at all. Use only autocannons and Hellfire missiles, over."

"This is Valkyrie Two Six Five. We copy that and are ready to rock and roll. Over."

"Valkyrie Two Zero Seven is locked and loaded for runway construction. Over"

Demoritus was in the back of the crew compartment watching the battle unfold below him when two burning ork fighters flew by and crashed into the green sea. The Valkyrie shifted to the left as it descended closer to the ground. The thuds of the Valkrie's 105mm automatic cannons sounded inside the compartment as the outpost came into Demoritus' site. The Valkyries fired its twenty hell fire missiles into the sea of orks, creating massive balls of flames and charred orks around the outpost.

The intercom came back on and the sounds of the pilot's compartments that sat right above the forward mounted autocannons which could be heard over the pilots voice as he tried to shout.

"LZ approaching! Preparing for runway construction! Stormtroopers, man your stations! Over!"

Demoritus stood up along with his men. Still holding onto his power sword and hellpistol, he faced the hot wind as it blew into the crew compartment of the dropship when it came to a halt. Speaking into his personal headset he called out to his men.

"Squad Delta sound off! Then give me a weapons check, were going in hotter then ever so I need everyone in tip top shape got that!"

The squad responded with the squads name "Delta". Once all nine had came back on the comm-link with "Delta" Demoritus unsheathed his power sword and readied himself for the fight.

Decimus' voice came through the head set with the Imperium's war cry, "For the Steel Legion, For Armageddon, For the Emperor!"

The rest of the squad came back with a shout of, "For the 19th Stormtrooper Company!"

The intercom came back to life with the pilot shouting, "Touch down in three...two...one touch down. Move it, move it, move it!"

The dropship's bottom boosters flared up to slow the landing as it neared to LZ. The Valkrie's landing gears crushed several corpses as it hit the ground splattering the entrails of the fried ork bodies.

Demoritus jumped out of the Valkyrie with his hellpistol blazing and power sword at the ready. Aiming and firing his hellpistol into the mob, pounding into the heads of orks as they attempted to assault the storm troopers, leaving smoldering holes in their skulls. Demoritus charged into the nearby mod hacking and slashing through the massive, bulky bodies of the green xenos, spilling blood on the ground. He cut into an ork's ribs, slicing it in two, then turning onto another ork, riddling its chest with smoking holes. From the side of him an ork jumped out with its large axe, swinging it wildly, Demoritus turn around to meet the ork head on and severed the creature's head off with one sweep of his power sword.

Leon and Viktor jumped out behind their Sergeant, putting fire down on Orks as they ran at the Valkyrie. Leon poured the chemical flames of his heavy flamer into the ork rank, leaving charred bodies where they once stood. Viktor fired volleys of las fire from his Hellgun, ripping through the ork's thick skin. Both Viktor and Leon meet their Sergeant and took their position by Demoritus.

A group of orks near by targeted the Valkyrie and fired upon it with five of their missile launchers. The pilot saw the flames of the rockets and quickly attempted to take off. The rocket smashed into the right wing, clipping it and taking a lascannon with it. Demoritus watched as the Valkyrie took off to join back up with the other two, which had dropped off the other two Storm trooper squads near the underground bunker complex.

Demoritus turned to Viktor and Leon.

"I need you two to meet up with the rest of the squad in the bunker complex! I'll get the sentry turrets online to give you guys covering fire!"

Leon shook his head and they both took off into the layers of the outpost. Demoritus ran across the ground of charred orks, shooting three rounds into anything that moved. When he reached the small security bunker he heard the sounds of the ork automatic weapons and the swift sound of Eldar shrunken rounds on the other side.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two: Old Friend, New Enemy.

---Defense Station _Ring of the Emperor_---

The massive orbital defense fortress stood against the blackness of space as an Imperial Battle Cruiser orbited the docking bay. A Thunderhawk gunship from the Battle Cruiser, docked in the Fortress's landing bays. On the platform beside the gunship stood Captain LeDie and ten Black Templar space marines along with the several staff and servitors that were working on the docked Fury space fighters. On the side of the gunship bore the red "I" which marked an Inquisitor's ship. The front steel plated ramp opened with a hissing noise. Once the ramp was fully down a group of Ultramarines stepped out with honors mounted on their bulky power armor. Behind the Ultramarines stood Inquisitor Lysander, a young Imperial noble who was now commander of the 12th Steel Legion Regiment.

His good friend Demoritus helped him gain this power by placing all the winning of the 19th SLS on him. Lysander had promised that he would help win the war in the Omega Sector. By gaining this power he had one more step to complete this task. He thought for a moment before he walked out of the dark loading compartment of the Gunship. It had been four years since he last saw his good friend and hasn't heard from him either. He had no idea if Demoritus was dead, but a promise was a promise. He would send as much equipment to the war as needed.

Lysander walked out onto the steel plated grid of the docking bay. Standing before him was his old guards, the Ultramarines and before him was his new the Black Templar. Lysander walked up to Captain LeDie, who was at attention in front of the Gunship. Lysander placed his white Gloved hand on the Captain's shoulder and looked at the staff of crew around him.

"I'm now taking command of this station. All orders are to come from my staff and me. My first order of business is to make this station is part of the supply transport's holding bay. Supplies to this sector are moving very slowly do to ork raids. With this station as a safe guard we can assure that tanks and infantry will make it to the front lines. I will also have the 9th Imperial Fleet to guard the station and the convoy of supply ships."

LeDie bowed and replied, "Yes my Lord. We will see to it that this station is brought into the war and we will do all we can to make the war for the Steel Legion easier."

Lysander waved for the Black Templar to board his gunship. His previous guards stepped off the ramp in into a second gunship that was down the docking bay. He turned around and walked back up the gunship's ramp as it closed and returned to his seat. Looking out the side window he saw as the gunship departed from the orbital fortress and was returning to his Imperial Battle Cruiser. The stars stuck out from the blackness of space. He thought of the time him and Demoritus spent together.

The gunship neared the Imperial Battle Cruiser when the space around it started to warp. The cruiser was sucked into the warp alone with the gunship. As it traveled Lysander's mind started to break down. He couldnt stop the sharp needle like pain probing his mind. His skin felt like it was in flames and his insides were bursting. Blood ran down his eyes, noise, and ears. He drooled thick dark red blood as he tightened his fist so hard that his hands begain to bleed. His eyes filled with blood, turning them red. He could no longer hear the screams and yells of his fellow Black Templar guards. A voice crept into his mind it was like a high pitched woman's voice and a low tone man's voice at once at it spoke into his aching brain.

"Lysander. Lysander. Lysander." It echoed in his mind. "You are a lie Lysander. You will fall do to your friendship, but we can help you Lysander. We can give you the power you need to defeat your enemies and make you the Lord Inquisitor."

Lysander stood up. His knees were bent and his body hunched over. He cryed out in pain as his body begain the break.

"Yes! Yes I'll take your help! Just please stop the pain!" He cryed as blood ran down his face.

"Then your soul will be empowered by chaos and we will destroy the false Emperor of man."

Lysander awoke on the steel grid plates of the gunship. His marines were charred, bloody corpses as they fused to the metal walls. His body still felt like it was on fire, but at the same time it felt cool. He stood up with no pain. He felt his face, no blood. Was it, no it wasnt. The marines were did. He thought of what had just happened, but all came to his mind was how much he wanted to kill Demoritus.

The words kept repeating in his mid, "Kill Demoritus, make him suffer."

Lysander peered out to were his cruiser once was, but nothing but space. Even the stars were different. He asked himself were did he go, but he knew the answer and was now afraid of what he had just done to himself. A sharp pain went through his mind.

"I will take over know human. Tzeenth wishes to make this place a living hell from the inside out and I will use you to do it." He said in a dark voice.


End file.
